Last updated at 14:00, Wednesday, 27 February 2013

Unite, Britain's biggest union, says British Gas profits will anger customers but the money could be used to help reduce energy bills ‘if companies behaved more responsibly’.

Centrica, which owns British Gas, reported an adjusted operating profit of £2.7bn for 2012, up 14% from 2011.

Profits from British Gas' residential energy arm rose 11 per cent to £606 million while gas consumption had risen by 12 per cent.

There has been some criticism that the company increased its prices in November when profits were rising, and Unite general secretary Len McCluskey thinks its time for energy companies to behave more fairly.

Mr McCluskey said: "British Gas' owner Centrica is making £50 per household in this country - that is staggering. These profits will anger a growing number of families who are struggling to pay the bills.

“The price increases in November caused hardship for customers while British Gas bosses boosted their profits and their own bonuses in the process.

"We could have warm homes and reduce our fuel bills if companies, including British Gas, used more of its profits to insulate homes to reduce the cost of energy bills.

"Almost half of Unite members say heating bills are their biggest worry - there needs to be more action from the energy companies and the government.

“The coalition stubbornly refuses to properly regulate the energy industry. It is time for the government to give the regulator more power make sure energy companies behave fairly."

In a poll of over 4,000 Unite members, by independent researchers Mass1, 44 per cent said heating bills were their biggest worry.

First published at 13:52, Wednesday, 27 February 2013
Published by http://www.in-cumbria.com